

















Chinese Money Plant

4.6 out of 5 (658 experiences)


About Chinese Money Plant
The Chinese money plant was shared through cuttings and grown as a houseplant for 20 years before it was known or studied by British botanists! Pilea peperomioides was first collected in 1906 in the Tsangshan mountain range, which rises to almost 14,000 feet altitude just west of the ancient city of Dali in western Yunnan, China. ā°
Later, while hardly known to Western scientific communities, the species was grown in thousands of private European homes as off-shoots passed from one person to another. š¤
Taxonomy
Pilea peperomioides
Pilea
Urticaceae
Rosales
Also known as
Pancake Plant, UFO plant, Lefse Plant, Missionary Plant, Bender Plant and Mirror Grass

How to care for Chinese Money Plant

How often to water your Chinese Money Plant

every 9
Chinese Money Plant needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesnāt get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
9

Check the growing potential in your area
A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.

Select a city to check sunlight intensity

Finding light for Chinese Money Plant in your home

a window
Chinese Money Plant may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves š, without ample sunlight.
Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Chinese Money Plant in your home š”.

How to fertilize Chinese Money Plant

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil itās likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Chinese Money Plant after it doubles in size or once a yearāwhichever comes first.

Chinese Money Plant is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!
Water Needs
Chinese Money Plant prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Sunlight Needs
Chinese Money Plant may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves š without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home š”.
Toxicity
Chinese Money Plant is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.
Humidity
Chinese Money Plant doesnāt require additional humidity. Plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves, so the best way to provide humidity for your plants is through watering the soil.
Soil
Chinese Money Plant does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!
Fertilizer
Chinese Money Plant should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as itās refreshed yearly, you shouldnāt need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!
Dormancy
Itās common for Chinese Money Plant to go dormant in the wintertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Waterings should be spaced out more during this time.
Native Region
Chinese Money Plant is native to Worldwide.
Flowers
Yes, you may see your Chinese Money Plant bloom with the right amount of sunlight and water.
Growth Pattern
Chinese Money Plant grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.
Growing Outdoors
USDA Hardiness Zone
Chinese Money Plant can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10a-12a. Find your local hardiness zone here.
Propagation
Chinese Money Plant can be propagated by division into new individual plants.
- Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below!
- If there are multiple plants growing, unpot the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet.
- Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil
- Repot the parent plant back into its original pot
Yellow Leaves
Yellow leaves arenāt always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plantās life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, itās likely just your plant shedding old leaves.
Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Chinese Money Plant, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.
Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!
Care Summary for Chinese Money Plant
Chinese Money Plant
Greg recommends:

0.5 cups every 9 days

< 3ft from a window

Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4ā pot your plant is in, and that it doesnāt get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say












Love this plant, when I bought it it had a few pups that werenāt ready to be separated. I recently separated them from the mom plant and wow they propagate so easy. Got six viable propagations and all of them have new root growth! It grows very fast and has almost doubled in size from when I bought it 3 months ago.
Itās pet friendly so if my cat decides to take a test chomp (and subsequently realize it doesnāt taste good) itāll be fine.
I did an experiment where I potted it in straight LECA for super drainage and even longer periods between watering and so far so good! It tends to be a little dramatic after being repotted but after a week it perks back up. It doesnāt like sharp temperature changes, that tends to be what makes the leaves curl (that and letting me know it needs to be watered).








he grows new leaves every week lol, sometimes iāll find pups too!! doesnāt like the cold and getting leaves wet but otherwise super easy :) i just water whenever the soil is mostly dry, maybe like 75%. repot shock is a bit more obvious with this one but he recovers quickly.








The leaves on this plant are just like coins, they are amazing and surprisingly heavier than they look. The Chinese money plant can be prone to burning so keep out of direct sunlight. And rotate every few days to ensure it grows evenly, itās also best to use filtered water!




